Web elastic holder and sewing guide



May 14, 1963 R. E. BERRY 3,089,691

WEB ELASTIC HOLDER AND' SEWING GUIDE Filed Aug. 22, 1960 INVENTOR.

RALPH E. BERRY A TTORNEY States 'Ihis invention relates to sewing apparatus and more particularly toa device for holding a web of elastic in a tensioned state during the sewing thereof to fabric.

Ordinarily, the tensioning of elastic during the machine sewing thereof to a piece of Afabric places an excessive strain upon the sewing machine needle and related parts, and often results in uneven distribution of tension throughout the elastic strip and fabric towhich it is attached. Also, it is usually difficult to estimate the amount of stretch required for a particular piece of elastic when sewed to a longer piece of fabric. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a web elastic holder and guide device which can be conveniently used for accurately determining the tension in a web of elastic material prior and during the -application thereof to a piece of fabric.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a web elastic holder and guide of the type described having a self-contained scale which may be used to proportion accurately the length of web elastic to the length of the fabric to which it is being applied.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a web elastic holder and guide of the aforementioned type which can be conveniently used without damaging the elastic or fabric, and without placing any strain upon the lsewing machine parts.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide a web elastic holder and guide assembly which can be conveniently used with a minimum amount of practice and experience.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an elastic web 4guide and holder assembly made in accordance with the present invention in actual use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary Icross-sectional View of certain parts of the assembly shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of a slightly modified form of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating one manner in which the device shown in FIG. 3 may be used.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. l and 2 thereof, an elastic web holder and guide assembly made in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown to include la rectangular frame having a pair of spaced apart parallel sides 12, 14, and a pair of 'longitudinally spaced apart ends 16, 18, all of which dene central rectangular opening 17 within which an elastic web 11 to be sewed may be placed.

Web mounting means in the form of a tubular section of fabric 20 is mounted upon one end 16 of the frame, such las by stitching 22, and serves as a tab for securing one end of the elastic web 11 thereto, such as by a safety pin 21. A clamp bar 24 is hingedly mounted upon the opposite end piece 18 of the frame by means of a pivot pin 26 for selective pivotal movement between a normal- 1y engaged position as `shown in FIGS. l Iand 2, extending transversely to the direction of stretch of the elastic web 11, and a released position angularly inclined thereto. The opposite end of the clamp bar 24 is provided with an indent 3d which engages with a detent 32 to secure the clamp bar 24 in the engaged position with the fabric in place, -as shown in FIG. 2. One edge of the clamp bar 24 facing the mounting fabric 20 has serrations 28 that arent 'ire serve to prevent slipping of the elastic web 11 during use.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. l and 2 of the drawing, the free end of the elastic web 11 is secured to the mounting fabric 20l by means of a pin 21, and a selected length of such web, as may Vbe determined with reference to the scale 34 mounted upon one of the side pieces 14, is stretched the entire length of the frame, over the opposite end bar 18, and then between such top of bar 18 and the clamp bar 24, as shown in FIG. 2, and rearwardly thereof in a direction away from the mounting fabric 20. This reentr-ant varrangement of the web at the clamp bar end of the frame enables the serrations 28 of the clamp bar 24 to secure the elastic web in a tensioned state during the sewing thereof to a piece of fabric on a machine. With the clamp -bar so engaged, and the elastic web 11 tensioned in the manner shown in FIG. 2, such elastic web may be conveniently sewed upon the fabric by the machine Without any strain to the machine parts. It will also be observed that it is not necessary to sever the elastic web from its roll until after the sewing operation, thus minimizing any waste which might otherwise result from the excess elastic web still remaining engaged with the fra-me after the sewing operation.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of web elastic holder `and guide assembly 10i', is shown to include a rectangular frame of substantially the same arrangement as that hereinbefore described, -but which includes a clamp bar 24 which is arranged in a slightly different manner. This clamp bar 24 is also pivotally connected at one end upon the hinge pin 26, but has an indent 30 at its opposite end opening in a direction toward the mounting fabric 20 for engagement with the stationary detent 32. This clamp bar 24 also has a serrated edge 28' that faces in a direction away from the mount-ing fabric 20. Thus, this device is used by placing the elastic web 11 between the end piece 18 of the frame and the clamp -bar 24 and directing the free end thereof downwardly into engagement with the serrations 28', as shown in FIG. 4. In this arrangement, there is a sufficient frictional resistance between the serrations 28 and the free end of the elastic web to prevent slipping thereof during use, thus enabling the web to be applied into the holder with -a minimum amount of effort. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. l and 2, the elastic web is held more securely, but necessarily requires further manipulation thereof in order-to turn it -around the respective elements of the assembly in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best deiined by the claim-s appended hereto.

Having thus `described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettens Patent is:

1. A holder lfor uniformly tensioning and supporting a predetermined length of elastic material comprising, in combination, a frame having a central opening bounded by a pair of spaced apart parallel sides and a pair of spaced apart parallel ends, a tubular section of fabric mounted on one end of the `frame and defining a flexible tab mounting means extending from said end into the frameopening -for pinning one end of an elastic web thereto, and clamp means carried -by said frame adjacent the opposite end thereof for fastening another portion of the elastic web thereto in a tensioned state whereby said web intermediate said fastened portions extends across said opening for sewing to a piece of fabric, lsaid clamp means comprising a clamp bar mounted at one of its ends to said lfra-me for pivotal movement within a plane parallel to the general plane of said frame, detent means engagea'ble with the opposite end of said clamp bar for securing said clamp bar in a holding position transversely to the `direction of stress of the elastic web and a measuring scale carried by said frame intermediate said mounting means and said clamp means, said scale extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of an elastic web carried by said frame.

2. A holder for uniformly tensioning and supporting ya predetermined length of elastic material as set forth in claim 1, wherein said clamp bar includes a saw-toothed edge facing toward said mounting means in said holding position of said clamp bar.

3. A holder for uniformly tensioning and supporting a predetermined length of elastic material as -set yforth in claim 1, wherein said clamp bar includes a saw-toothed edge facing away from said mounting means in said holding position of said clamp bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Block Oct. 22, Lowe June 29, Rediske Sept. 5, Hood Apr. 20, Breth June 25, Zygmunt Sept. 16, Cozart May l2, Latson Oct. 23, Goldberg Dec. 10, Eaton Mar. 31, Zauncosky et al. Jan. 26, Blackmon et al. Aug. 30, 

1. A HOLDER FOR UNIFORMLY TENSIONING AND SUPPORTING A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF ELASTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING BOUNDED BY A PAIR OF SPACED APART PARALLEL SIDES AND A PAIR OF SPACED APART PARALLEL ENDS, A TUBULAR SECTION OF FABRIC MOUNTED ON ONE END OF THE FRAME AND DEFINING A FLEXIBLE TAB MOUNTING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID END INTO THE FRAMEOPENING FOR PINNING ONE END OF AN ELASTIC WEB THERETO, AND CLAMP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOR FASTENING ANOTHER PORTION OF THE ELASTIC WEB THERETO IN A TENSIONED STATE WHEREBY SAID WEB INTERMEDIATE SAID FASTENED PORTION EXTENDS ACROSS SAID OPENING FOR SEWING TO A PIECE OF FABRIC, SAID CLAMP MEANS COMPRISING A CLAMP BAR MOUNTED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO 